The present invention relates to engine assemblies and more particularly to a pulse jet engine assembly including a novel structure for feeding fuel to the combustion chamber of a pulse jet engine.
It has been well known in the art of pulse jet engines to control fuel to pulse jet combustion chambers through valving arrangements responsive to combustion pressure variations within the combustion chambers, such arrangements being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,838,102, issued to E. Reimers on June 10, 1958 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,278, issued to H. M. Fox on June 7, 1960. It also is generally known to pump fluids through a diaphragm pump driven by a prime mover such as an electric motor, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,324, issued to R. Karliner on June 28, 1983. Further, it is known to deliver fuel to a burner nozzle at a pulsing frequency dynamically matched to intermittent pressure pulses of a rotatable shaft driven gear pump, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,580, issued to D. L. Hunsberger et al. on July 5, 1983.
The present invention recognizes the desirability of providing a self-contained, internally powered engine assembly which is light in weight, which is efficient and durable in operation, which requires a minimum of space, which can be employed with various types of liquid fuels and which can be operative under high pressures and oscillation frequencies in both stationary and mobile environments. The present invention, recognizing such desired criteria for an engine assembly, provides a novel, compact, straightforward, economical and sturdy pulse jet engine assembly which achieves these desired criteria and which, after initial manual assistance, can remain durable and efficiently operative over extended periods of time, being capable of using various types of fuels which can be pumped with single or ganged pumps to the combustion chamber of the engine through the high frequency pulsing energy of the engine. In addition, the present invention provides an assembly which minimizes the use of previously required rings and sealing members, effectively utilizing the low pressure drops and high pulsing frequencies common to pulse jet engines.
Further, the present invention utilizes the variable combustion pressures of the engine for a motive source which can be liquid submergible to drive or pump engine fuel, also providing a novel heat exchanger arrangement for lowering pulsing combustion gas temperatures prior to utilization with the novel motive source for pumping fuel to the engine. Moreover, the present invention provides for the economical and efficient introduction of comparatively small and finely metered quantities of various types of fuel in a closely timed manner heretofore unknown in the art.
Various other features of the several parts of the inventive engine assembly will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.